LIGHT Policies
Refund and Registration Policy
Single-event registrations are non-refundable.
Course and workshop registration fees are generally non-refundable effective one month prior to the beginning of the course or workshop or after the registration close date. Any exceptions will be noted in the registration material for the course or workshop.
Certificate program fees are non-refundable after the set add/drop date in any given term. Students remain responsible for the balance of certificate program fees in any given term should they withdraw from the course of study after the add/drop date.
Meadville Lombard reserves the right to refuse registration to a single event, course, term, or certificate. Meadville Lombard reserves the right to cancel single event, course, term, or certificate participation at any point during the course of study.
In the case of a natural disaster or unforeseen systemic disruption, refunds are not guaranteed. Should such a calamity occur, we will reach out to all enrolled students by email to communicate further details. Meadville Lombard may cancel single events, courses, or certificates for internal reasons, in which case refunds will be provided.
For other refund or registration considerations due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact the Senior Director of Lifelong Learning, klassiter@meadville.edu.
Student Services
LIGHT students are learners enrolled in non-credit bearing programs, courses, workshops, trainings, retreats, etc. LIGHT students accrue contact hours in lifelong learning and other designated programs. LIGHT students are Meadville Lombard students.
Transcripts
Students have several options for obtaining a record of their continuing education hours from LIGHT. Students can download or print an unofficial record for no cost by logging in to LIGHT’s Populi site (light.populiweb.com). From there, click on “My Profile” and go to the Student tab. Click on Transcript options and print an unofficial record.
For official records, students can request an official electronic or physical record to be sent to themselves or to someone else in the Transcripts tab. Students can also request an official record without logging in to Populi at this link: https://light.populiweb.com/router/request_transcript. An official electronic record costs $5 and a physical copy costs $25.
Library Privileges
Library privileges are granted to LIGHT students who are enrolled in certificate programs, at the request of instructor, and to all LIGHT students at the conclusion of all programming. LIGHT library access is available at https://library.meadville.edu/light. LIGHT students have access to library staff support, LIGHT Course Reserves, the Wiggin Library, a curated list of free digital resources, and digital resources when on campus. Access to Archives and Special Collections does not require library privileges. This access lasts for three years. If, after three years, LIGHT students are still taking LIGHT courses, their account will be renewed. To ensure contact information is accurate, LIGHT students in eligible courses should submit a Library Account Information Form. Meadville Lombard Alums who enroll in LIGHT courses will retain their remote access to journal databases associated with their Alum library accounts.
All other LIGHT students are invited to become Community Library Patrons at the conclusion of their workshop, course, or program at https://library.meadville.edu/community. Students are also provided a link to request access in the course evaluation. LIGHT students do not have access to I-Share. Details on circulation and borrowing privileges can be found in the Library and Archives Policies page.
Student Access to Course Materials on Populi
Students will have access to course materials for review only after a course, workshop, or retreat is locked. Students will have access indefinitely so long as they remain active students in LIGHT programs. Students may not repurpose or redistribute course materials.
Active and Inactive Student Status Students who have not taken a course within three years will become inactive students. Records are reviewed annually during the summer term by the Program Support Assistant.
Institutional Communications with LIGHT Students
LIGHT students receive communications from several office throughout their relationship with Meadville Lombard Theological School. Communications include:
- Personalized registration welcome email and automatic user email from Populi
- Course-related emails (or texts) from the instructor
- Communication with invitations to participate in LIGHT programming, MLTS academic programming, and other events such as Partners in Ministry, Giving Days, Convocation, etc.
All course registration forms through Populi ask students whether they would like to receive information from Meadville Lombard in the future and lets them know that they can opt-out at any time. Likewise, students may sign up to receive future communications at www.meadville.edu/light.
Student Deferrals and Leaves
Students who have been admitted to a Certificate program may elect to defer enrollment for up to one year by communicating in writing with LIGHT. Students are responsible for reaching out to LIGHT the following year to confirm their plans to begin the program. Students who have begun a Certificate program and need to take a leave of absence or withdraw from the program may do so by communicating this in writing. The process for returning to studies following a leave of absence or withdrawal will depend on the specific program and the student’s progress through the program.
Technology and Data Security
Populi and Zoom are the two central technology platforms that we utilize at LIGHT. User roles are assigned in Populi and access is limited based on role. When using Zoom, passwords are required to access meetings as well as recordings after a meeting.
LIGHT’s Populi landing page is light.populiweb.com. Please note that this is a separate instance from meadville.populiweb.com and requires a different log-in and password. We recommend accessing each Populi instance in a different browser. Populi also has an app available in the Apple Store and Google Play. The IT Manager is available to assist LIGHT instructors and students as they encounter technology issues. The LIGHT website is updated on a regular basis: www.meadville.edu/LIGHT.
